[Tip 7 of 8] What NOT To Do In Influencer Marketing

Influencer marketing is becoming more effective and sophisticated as time passes. Brands can pass on word-of-mouth about a launch or product through a trustworthy and authentic source which are the influencers.

It takes on many forms such as sponsorship, giveaways, unboxing, product review and many more.

The role of the marketers is not only to look for the best influencers for a brand but also to set goals, set timelines, outline deliverable, align messages and many, many more.

It's hard work, we know... we launch over 1,000 of these last year and thought we'd share some of our insights with you.

Here are some mistakes you should avoid:

1. Not defining a goal for your influencer marketing campaign

Every marketing campaign needs to have a set goal – whether it’s to raise brand awareness, drive conversions, or boost customer loyalty. Clear goals help brands to tailor and specify their marketing efforts to achieve campaign goals.

The efforts in planning and strategizing an influencer campaign to drive users to follow the brand’s account is very different with event launching and introducing a new product to the market. Not making the goals clear will inhibit you from progressing to other steps.

So you’ll be wasting effort, money and time if you don’t set it straight and pick the wrong influencers!

2. Be enticed by audience size alone

Bigger does not always mean better. Many brands make this mistake by always having the perception that the more followers an influencer has, the better the returns.

Well, news flash! That is not always true. You could make a mistake by picking an influencer with high popularity but low engagement rate and success.

In some cases, “influencers” may have bought their followers. Shocker, but we have encountered it before.

Try to also avoid partnering with influencers who don’t deliver or whose track record is not proven.

3. Being over-restrictive with content posting

Influencer marketing is about passing word-of-mouth to the public through trusted and organic voices on social media platforms. If you control every piece of information the influencer intends to post, that takes away the wholesomeness of it.

If it seems too scripted and forged, their followers can tell. Provide them the

freedom to express and create; they are content creators after all.

This is where point #1 comes in again where goals are to be set with clear and concise.

4. Fail to structure influencer and brand contracts properly

This step is important because it protects brands or influencers from potential missteps, mistakes, and failures.

Issues such as managing deliverable, agreements and contracts make expectations clear which will mitigate any confusion or miscommunication. Contracts don’t have to be difficult, but they have to be properly implemented. It's all about clarity!

5. The Influencer doesn’t fit your brand

We’ve mentioned this previously, but this is a vital part of your influencer marketing campaign. Would you listen to someone who sells cars’ advise on which is the right colour to paint your home? Yeah, probably not the best source of information.